This invention relates to a roller cover or an arrangement for the trunk space of a motor vehicle.
Especially in so-called "station wagons," the storage or trunk space present behind the rear seat can be seen into from outside because in the standard body no coverings are provided. Such coverings would be troublesome when relatively large objects are to be accommodated in the storage or trunk space or when the rear seat is turned over or raised to increase the storage or trunk space.
The ability to freely view the storage or trunk space is frequently found undesirable. As a result, roller covers are available as an accessory for the storage or trunk space of vehicles. These roller covers are fastened to the back of the rear seat or to the sides of the vehicle's body in the immediate proximity of the rear seat. The roller web of the roller cover can then be drawn over the storage or trunk space opening.
Often spring roller-like constructions are used because they are easier to remove. Such spring roller-like constructions have the disadvantage of clearly sagging in the middle and being sensitive to loading.
From DE-A 38 19 766 there is known a roller cover with a number of struts in a parallel spaced relationship from one another on the roller web. These struts reinforce the roller web and are guided on their ends by two guide rails in a parallel spaced relationship from one another. There are receptacles which cooperate with the guide rails, and when the roller cover is retracted receive the ends of all the struts. The receptacles, struts, and roller web are separable from the guide rails.
With the above arrangement, the struts rest in the receptacles by means of a leaf spring. As a result, when the struts and receptacles are removed from the vehicle, unfavorable handling can overcome the resting force of the leaf spring and the struts can be separated from the receptacles even though such a result is not desired. In order to overcome this problem the resting means had to be very strong. The strong resting means, however, hampered the handling of the roller web when the roller cover was installed in the vehicle.